The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-24
DEACON AND LAwN-MowER.
a Characteristic financial Operation In a
Suburb of Boston.
Boston Transcript

81 tell you what" said q suburban
friend as the street-car conductor came
round, bearing particularly big and i'm
posing bell-punch, there's deacon in our
church that ought to be made to carry one
of those things when he makes his collec-
tons, If anybody ought to be made to wear
one.
why? What has the deacon done"
"I'll tell you the whole story, and when
I've done / want to know whether, if il
had oc Cured to you, it wouldn't have de-
creased your confidence In somebody. You
see, live next door to Deacon Shsrpley,
and my yard is separated from his Just by
light picket fence. / was hacking
away at the grass on my little
lawn the other night with O grass.
hook; 1 was just finishing the JOB,
and wondering whether / should ever be
rich enough to own lawn-mower, when
the deacon came out and leaned over the
fence. "See here" said he, you're getting
quite lawn here, and so am l. We don't
either of Us have quite enough business for
a laHn-mower, but together we might
have. Say we go snucks on one2' 1 told
him l thought 1t was a good idea, and
would 60 in with him on a machine. He
said he would manage the purchase and
would tell me how much half the cost was
So let him go on and buy the lawn-mow-
SD so 10 bis own name. gave him So %,
end left the machine and the receipt in his
bands
About two weeks after that-Pd seen
the deacon showing the lawn-mower
around in MS yard in great style in the
mtsntime-I thought my grass had got
up enough to need cutting, and l went
over to the deacon's to get the machine.
The deacon was out, they said, but the
To- 1ru a4 Y
thought il was a little queer that the dea-
con had lent our machine, but l went
down 20 Smiths and got it. thought they
looked little cross when l took it, but l
took it Just the same, and moved nv
lawn. Next night the deacon came and
got it again, and moved away for q while
in his back yard. few days after that 1
thought it was about time to NOW once
more, and went over to the deacon's for
the machine. No machine anywhere
around. l asked at the back door.
"'Where's the lawn-moTerP
Mr.. Smith came and got it a little
while ago. said the deaeons daughter.
"Mr. Smith What business had he
with our machine? L didn't ask, but
NOTED down to Smiths. 1 found Smith
very complscently oiling the lawn-mower,
and apparently getting il ready for action.
"'Well, said /, i came over after that
laWn-moTer; but as on seem TO be getting
ready to use it, suppose can wait
Hmm said he. i guess the deacon and
l keep it pretty busy
$50 ii seems, says kind of sarcastical-
ly.
"'Well, we have to get our moneys
worth out of it, you know says he.
THAT struck me as mighty queer re-
marx. and l couldn't help say ing, 1
should think you'd want to get one our
SELF
"'Well,' ssy he, looking up little sur
prised, i own half of this one
"'IOu-you own half of this onep says
1, astonshed.
"'Why, certainly says he; Deacon
Sharply anG bought this lawn mower
together
II tell you that took me completely
down. The deacon had deliberately
played Us OFF, one against the other, and
had got NE to pay for one half tina ma.
chine, and Smith the other calculating to
get the use of 1t 10 NOW his own grass for
nothing II he had been as cautious.as be
was sharp, and kept the machine in his
own barn, or else insisted on going after IL
himself, / suppose he might have kept
sgoipg that way. But since we've found
1t out, Smith and / get along first rate,
but the deacon has to hire an Irishman II
NOW bis grass with o scythe.
"And that's the reason why think the
deacon ought to carry a bell-punch when
he takes up a collection. Don't you think
it would be a good scheme?"